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Sparks and I decided to go the traditional route and sleep in separate places the night before our wedding. So he stayed in our apartment, and I had to stay in our gorgeous hotel suite…DARN. I headed straight for the room after our welcome party and, honestly, that cab ride was a little nerve-racking for me. I’m not the kind of person who does well when all eyes are on me and, up until that point, Sparks had been constantly by my side taking on half of the attention. I started to have a minor panic attack when I thought about all the people who would be fussing over my hair, my makeup, my dress, etc. the next morning. So I did what any normal person would do: I had a glass of wine and distracted myself by working on my escort cards until two in the morning.
I know that might seem strange to some people, and I really can’t explain it—I was just SO nervous. I didn’t want to sit around having super-duper meaningful talks with anyone, I didn’t want to reminisce about my relationship with Sparks or my last night as a single Sparkler…I just wanted to not freak out. And I think that’s OK.
Before I wrote this, I actually gave myself a pretty hard time for ending the night that way. Maybe I should have had all my bridesmaids in the room for a sleepover, or maybe I should have stayed up all night talking with my sisters or writing Sparks a romantic letter. But that’s just not me. And it’s not what I needed. I needed to put my head down and work on 250 escort cards that I should have done weeks before. I just needed to be alone in my own thoughts for a nanosecond, and try to process what would happen the next day. And I don’t feel bad about it anymore.
After our amazing rehearsal dinner, we gathered everyone up and headed over to our welcome party. Most of us decided to walk the short distance to the residential high-rise that our friend Andrew had so generously offered up for our location. It was such a nice night, and I remember crossing my fingers (and my toes, and my eyes…) hoping it would stay that nice for the entire weekend.
Before we arrived, our waiting guests were already enjoying themselves, taking in the view, and catching up with everyone.
The night of our rehearsal dinner was absolutely one of the best nights of my life (have I said that enough yet?). It was a night I had been looking forward to ever since Sparks asked me to marry him. The rehearsal just seems so special…everyone is excited to be in town, everything is finally happening, and you know it’s time to soak in every moment. And that’s what we did.
The actual rehearsal was super simple. We all met at the hotel, hopped on a party bus, and headed to the venue.
Yeah. Right.
That’s how it went for everybody else. How did it go for me? Well, let’s just say, the rehearsal was scheduled for 4:30PM, and I arrived in the lobby of the hotel at 4:21PM…in jeans and a t-shirt. I had my hair and makeup done already (thanks to a wonderful afternoon at the Benefit spa…a gift from sister Sparkler and one of my favorite memories of the weekend), and I planned to throw on my red dress and Jimmy Choos, and be on the bus in under five minutes.
Weeeellll, there was a minor crisis at check-in where the concierge mistakenly tried to charge the entire honeymoon suite and security deposit on my poor, tired debit card. This was supposed to be put on our CREDIT card, which was in Sparks’ pocket, at our apartment (yes, he was late too). After a mini-meltdown, they finally agreed to put only half of the charge on my card until the next day. I honestly think they were just terrified of the little bride crying in their lobby…not good for business. It wasn’t my proudest moment, but I was so beyond stressed at that point, and this was the straw that broke the camel’s bride’s back. A big, BIG thanks goes out to my BFF, Bridesmaid Sarah, for saving the day and calming me down. Also to my wonderful boys who insisted the hotel bartender let me walk out the door with a beer in my hand. Thanks 
Now, onto the rehearsal dinner!
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As I write this, I can’t stop shaking my head at the fact that Sparks and I have been married for 4 MONTHS now! I really can’t believe it. Time has been flying by ever since the big day.
I’m not going to lie… the actual week of our wedding was pretty stressful. All of the “little” projects on our “To-Do” list started to feel really big, and it didn’t seem like we had nearly enough time (or money, grrrr) to get anything done. So here’s my biggest piece of wedding advice for ya:
Do whatever you can, as early as you can.
Seriously. Don’t feel silly doing your programs or favors 5 months before the actual wedding. Because you won’t feel silly when you have all of that stuff done, and you can relax poolside with your bridesmaids before the wedding. I procrastinated on a couple of important projects, and as a result, had a few internal freak outs, a near-breakdown in a hotel lobby (before BFF saved the day… thanks, lady!), and a grand total of 5 minutes to get ready for my rehearsal dinner. Yep. But that’s another story.
Sparks and I started the celebrations on Wednesday before the big day.
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Featured on Weddingbee
Spring Wedding Favors
“Embrace the season with wedding favors that are perfectly suited for spring! Adorable AND affordable.”
I didn’t want to waste time thinking of a clever title for this post… I’ve kept the dress from you for way too long (WARNING: lots of self-indulgent photos ahead). Hive, please say hello to my dress, Maldives by Reverie, Melissa Sweet:
Personal photo, after final alterations
I went through quite the journey to find this baby. There were times when I honestly had no idea what I would be wearing on our wedding day. I just couldn’t get a clear idea of what I wanted. Then, one day while obsessively browsing dresses online, something caught my eye. The first time I saw *the* dress was in a photo shoot on Kristen Weaver’s blog, and it was lust at first sight:
Hey, hive! Hope you all had the happiest of holidays! I’m going to jump right into my last Hawaii post, because I am SO eager to start my wedding recaps now that I have our pro pics! I believe when we last left off, Sparks and I were on our way to Maui…
The flight over was soooo bumpy, and I’m not much of a flier. I *may* have treated myself to some liquid courage, Mai Tai style, on the way there.
Once we landed safely in Maui, I was eager to get to our resort. I’d been looking forward to staying there ever since we finalized our honeymoon plans, and this place did NOT disappoint!
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Create the honeymoon of your dreams.
4. Take a tour
Hawaii offers SO many specialized tours. Helicopter, zip-line, kayaking, whale-watching… the list goes on-and-on. While you can definitely try to do all of those things on your own, I would suggest going with the pros at least once on your vacation. It’s nice to be in the hands of someone who does it every day!
Sparks and I went on a guided LOST tour (in a Hummer! Off road!), and it was hands-down the best thing we did in Oahu. The guide took us to places on the island that we would have NEVER found on our own, and I felt like we learned so much!
We went on a 5 hour LOST tour with KOS… it was amazing!
“We have to go back!”
5. Visit Pearl Harbor
Confession: We almost didn’t do this. I know, it’s terrible. But if anyone else out there is thinking about skipping it, I’m here to convince you not to! Here’s why:
Also, if you go on Wednesday or on the weekend, you can visit the flea market at Aloha Stadium on your way to the memorial. Sparks and I found so many unique and affordable gifts there. I definitely recommend stopping by!
Our tickets to the USS Arizona memorial
Inside the memorial
Tips and Tricks: You absolutely cannot bring ANYTHING but a camera into the Pearl Harbor grounds. Not even a camera bag. So travel light if you go.
The flea market at Aloha Stadium is freakin’ HUGE. Like insanely huge. Sparks and I walked from end-to-end, and take my word for it… everything for sale is pretty much the same on both sides. Don’t feel like you missed out if you didn’t make it through the entire thing.
Checking out the flea market
Fresh island soaps
Next up: Maui! (Then it’s on to wedding recaps!!!)
It’s almost impossible to decide on my favorite thing about Oahu… Sparks and I loved pretty much everything we did! In fact, one of the things we loved most about the island was that there was SO much to do. Oahu is definitely #1 when it comes to having a wide range of activities to choose from. Buuuuut, if I HAD to choose, here are the top 5 things you shouldn’t miss if you visit Oahu (according to the Sparklers ):
1. Go Hiking
It’s so easy to spend all of your time in Hawaii lounging on the beach. I’ll admit, it was pretty hard to get me out of that beach chair once I plopped down. But if you don’t explore the hidden beauty of Oahu, you’re really missing something spectacular! There are so many hiking trails and paths winding through the island, you might have a hard time deciding which one to take (I recommend grabbing this book for help… it was a lifesaver). Sparks and I were lucky enough to have a local show us around. Our friend Matt moved to Hawaii about 3 years ago, and he was kind enough to lead us through the Hawaiian jungle on a hiking trip that he promised would be “easy.” Hmph. Maybe this is easy to the locals (our buddy hiked it BAREFOOT), but I was pretty exhausted by the time we made it back to the car. But, oh boy, was it worth it.
I practically floated off the plane when we touched down in Oahu (because I was so excited, NOT because of my white wine/flying meds combo ). I had fantasized about coming to Hawaii since I was a little girl and to finally be there, and feel the warm breeze and smell the clean air, was (literally) a dream come true.
Our first stop on the way to our resort was the rental car office. We’d taken the advice of friends who had visited Hawaii before us, and arranged to have a car for the week. And I’m SO glad we did! Having that a car made our island experience so much more laid back and awesome. Not having to rely on resort shuttles or cabs the whole week was definitely worth the price!
Sparkler Oahu Tip #1: Rent a car! And if you want a Jeep, reserve early!
We didn’t end up with the Jeep Wrangler we were hoping for because EVERYONE visiting Hawaii wants a Jeep Wrangler. So make sure you specifically ask for one and reserve it early if that’s your top pick. Sparks and I were perfectly happy with the car we ended up with though… hey, we were in Hawaii!!!
Sparks in our sweet ride
Our Hawaiian honeymoon began in the most romantic place in Chicago… the Blue Line to O’Hare.
Yep, you read that right. The morning of our honeymoon began with a sweaty, frazzled ride on the El. Us silly Sparklers thought we could wake up on a Monday morning and just hop on the highway with no trouble at all. Yeah. Right. If you’ve ever tried to get out of Chicago on a Monday morning, you’d know we were kidding ourselves.
Thankfully, Brother Sparkler was our airport chauffeur for the morning, and he quickly rerouted us to the nearest Blue Line. After a panicked climb to the train platform (and me practically getting caught in the train door), we were finally on our way.
Sparkler Hawaii Tip #1: Leave yourself plenty of time to get to the airport. Seriously.
Once we made it to the airport and got through security, Sparks and I had a chance to relax a little bit. We browsed around for a magazine or two, grabbed breakfast and… wait, what’s that? Why are all of those people getting in line? Oh yeah.
That would be our plane. Boarding without us.
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Tick, tick, tick…tick.
Do you hear that insanely annoying ticking sound? That would be time creeping by, slow as hell, as I wait for our pro pics to be delivered. I know they will be well worth the wait, but I am seriously going CRAZY over here! And I know I’ve been a bad, bad, blogger during this waiting period. Do you guys even recognize me? Do I look the same now that I’m married?
Anyway, I think it’s about time that I started my recaps!
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Aloha, Hive! Sparks and I are sitting here enjoying our last Hawaiian sunset for now, and I just had to pop in and say hello. As sad as I am to leave this place (It.Is.Un.REAL.), I’m REALLY excited to start my recaps, finish my bachelorette post (I didn’t forget!!! ) and get caught up on everything you’ve been up to. A big “WELCOME!” to all the new bees, I can’t wait to officially “meet” all of you.
The LOST tour was a huuuuuge highlight of our trip so far!
Ed. note: This post didn’t land in my inbox until yesterday night! 
Miss Sparkler is off and married, but wanted to say one last hello to the hive…here it is as she wrote it on Saturday!
~~~
I’m getting married… TODAY. Wow, wow, wow. I’m a bundle of nerves and my brain is going a mile a minute, but I’m ready.
Sparks, I can’t wait to see you at the end of that aisle. Can you believe it’s finally here? After 8 years???? Let’s do this!
A little sneak peek for you before I start getting ready… the red dress in action:
A little blurry, but it was a hit at the welcome party last night!
How can even describe my bachelorette party? Amazing? Hilarious? Best weekend ever? All of those things wrapped into one?
I mean, how could you not have a good time when you’re at the…
That’s right. We hit up J-Shore for my last weekend as a single Sparkler. And if I haven’t mentioned it before, I have THE GREATEST FRIENDS EVER. Seriously. A HUGE “thank you” to all of you who made this weekend so special and fun. I wish I could relive it again and again
I arrived at the Shore on Friday evening after a 2 hour plane ride, a 3 hour car ride, and a bag of pizza-flavored combos. I was excited.
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Hi… remember me? Yep, Miss Sparkler is alive. Hard to believe, I know. I’m sure you thought I’d been swept away into a black hole of wedding insanity since I’ve been horribly MIA these past few days.
Ahhhh! Sparkler black hole! (Space image via ZME Science)
I guess (in a way) I really did get swept away into wedding planning. All of a sudden, things have to be done NOW. As in, “Maybe we should have done this yesterday.” It’s pretty stressful, but I’m surviving it because of one amazing decision I made a looooong time ago. Back when wedding planning consisted of matching pretty colors together in my mind. What decision could be big enough that it’s single-handedly keeping me from going crazy?
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Mrs. Sparkler, Chicago Age and Occupation: 27, Communications Aficionado Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Publisher Engagement Date: July 21, 2010 Wedding Date: September 2011 Venue: Chicago Illuminating Company About Me: I’m a Southern lady living in the big city of Chicago. Well, lady may be a stretch, but I’m working hard to keep some Virginia charm in our sleek, urban, wedding-palooza! I’m addicted to marathons, not-so-famous bands, Chicago restaurants, and Mark Twain. I cry during SPCA commercials, and I think LOST was the best show to ever hit television. Mr. S and I met at a classy college mixer and, 7 years later, he’s still by my side. He’s the only child, laid back, free spirit... I’m the oldest of five kids, type-A, organizer. It doesn’t work on paper, but we’ve never paid attention to that stuff anyway. Somehow it works. And like they say, sometimes when you know…you just know.
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